Osteoporosis patients ‘abandoned’ after being diagnosed by text, damning inquiry reveals

Experts said the findings highlight a “deep, structural failure in how the NHS treats a condition affecting millions”

The NHS is failing osteoporosis patients, diagnosing them via text message only to then "forget" them, a damning parliamentary inquiry has found.

Some individuals told MPs they received no scheduled follow-up after their diagnosis, while others faced years-long waits for crucial bone scans.

Further highlighting the systemic issues, a new report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on osteoporosis and bone health revealed that only 34 per cent of eligible patients are receiving medication to prevent fractures.

Experts condemned the findings, stating they expose a "deep, structural failure in how the NHS treats a condition affecting millions", putting patients at risk of losing their independence and facing premature death.

Osteoporosis weakens the bones and makes them fragile, putting them at risk of breaks from falls, or even coughs and sneezes.

The condition affects more than 3.5 million people in the UK.

The new APPG report includes a poll of 3,363 patients, as well as data from a Freedom of Information request.

The patient survey found that more than half had not been contacted by a healthcare professional about their condition in the past year, while almost one in four (23 per cent) had not been contacted in more than three years.

Fewer than a third (30 per cent) said they were satisfied with how their osteoporosis is monitored by the NHS.

These satisfaction levels differed in deprived areas (28 per cent) compared to wealthier areas (50 per cent).

Meanwhile, the research found that half of all integrated care boards (ICBs) and health boards have no defined osteoporosis care pathway connecting hospitals and primary care.

The APPG said a “particularly troubling” theme to emerge from the inquiry is the “sense of abandonment felt by many people with osteoporosis as a result of the lack of clinical ownership of their condition”.

Fewer than a third of patients said they were satisfied with how their osteoporosis is monitored by the NHS.

It said there are “systemic gaps that contribute to the widespread undertreatment of osteoporosis” with two thirds of eligible people missing out on treatment that would help them avoid broken bones.

One 63-year-old patient named Julie told MPs that her previous GP gave her an “osteoporosis diagnosis by text”, then told her to “check the internet for information”.

MP Sonia Kumar, chair of the APPG on osteoporosis and bone health, said: “Care is usually fragmented and confusing for osteoporosis patients, leaving far too many people abandoned to manage their condition alone and risking lifelong disability.

“A bold, population-wide approach — powered by technology and proactive risk checks — would transform outcomes, save lives and slash costs.

“Right now, care is reactive rather than preventative. Most people are diagnosed only after a fracture, which is failing patients and costing the NHS huge sums of wasted money. This is not just a clinical failure – it’s a health emergency.”

Elsewhere, some 28 per cent of patients who have osteoporosis and another long-term condition such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease told the survey they felt better supported with their other condition.

One patient named Sarah, who is 62, was diagnosed with osteoporosis in 2025.

She told the inquiry she was given the news over the phone from a clinical pharmacist and received no in-depth advice about the condition.

“No-one took the time to discuss my situation,” she said. “[In contrast] My asthma is controlled and I have reviews every 12 months.”

Ms Kumar added: “Cliff-edges in osteoporosis care stand in stark contrast to patients’ experience of other long-term conditions such as asthma, heart disease and cancer.”

Lord Black, co-chair of the APPG on osteoporosis and bone health, described the findings of the probe as “truly shocking”.

Osteoporosis impacts about 3.5 million people in the UK (Peter Byrne/PA)

“Too many patients with osteoporosis are discharged from hospital after painful and preventable fractures without follow-up and left to navigate a complex condition alone.” he added.

“The result is fear, confusion, poor adherence to otherwise effective medicines, repeated fractures and widening health inequalities.”

The APPG has made a number of recommendations, including the development of new care pathways to prevent patients falling through the cracks and personalised management plans for every person with osteoporosis.

It is also calling for new bone health questions to be added to the NHS Health Check for people over the age of 40.

Craig Jones, chief executive of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, said: “What this inquiry lays bare is not a niche problem, but a deep, structural failure in how the NHS treats a condition affecting millions.

“Being diagnosed by text and then effectively forgotten is not care, it is abandonment. Osteoporosis is a serious long-term condition, yet patients are denied the basic services routinely offered for asthma, diabetes or heart disease: clear pathways, regular reviews and someone accountable for their care.

“The consequences are predictable. People fall through the cracks, fractures spiral, lives shrink and many patients die before their time. We already know what works, from proper care pathways to smarter use of population health data and digital tools.

“The cost of inaction is measured not just in broken bones, but in lost independence, avoidable deaths and mounting pressure on the NHS. With excellent drug therapies already available, this report must mark the moment we get on top of this problem.”